Feature type
Fault Scarp
A cliff formed where the crust has broken and one side has risen relative to the other. Mercury is covered in long lobate scarps produced as the planet cooled and shrank.
In brief
A cliff formed by faulting of the crust.
Examples of this feature
- Discovery RupesSurface featureMercury
A great lobate cliff on Mercury, formed as the planet's interior cooled and its crust contracted, thrusting one block of terrain over another.
Knowledge connections
- Group includesDiscovery Rupes
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.